Existing electronic controls systems typically utilize multi-channel primary controllers, and a back-up controller to control a device. Under normal fault-free conditions, the primary control controls the plant. The back-up controller assumes control when the primary controllers experience some threshold degree of damage or error that the primary controllers cannot recover from. For example, when both channels have a failure of their primary controllers. Another example is a channel-wide failure such as power supply failure in one channel simultaneous with the other channel's primary controller failing.